Chapter 94: Ensemble

“Mom, please spare me!” Miaomiao immediately put on a terrified expression, raising his little chubby hands high in surrender. His legs went weak as he was about to kneel before his mother.

Before his knees could touch the ground, Chi Xiao yanked him up from behind.

“A soldier can be killed but not humiliated,” Chi Xiao told Miaomiao. “How can you surrender so easily to the enemy’s gunpoint?”

With that, Chi Xiao reached under Miaomiao’s armpits, lifted him high, and used him as a shield in front of his chest. He then said to Ming Can, “Shoot the six-year-old first.”

“Dad!” Miaomiao struggled and twisted frantically. “How can you do this?!”

Ming Can was laughing so hard that she could barely hold her gun steady. “Even a tiger won’t eat its cubs, yet you’re utterly devoid of conscience!”

She stepped forward, took Miaomiao into her arms, and tossed him behind her. Then, without hesitation, she raised her gun and fired a burst of tutututu at Chi Xiao’s chest.

Chi Xiao clutched his chest and staggered back two steps. “Wrong target, Commander. I wasn’t the one who brought the earthworms back.”

“The upper beam is crooked, so the lower beam tilts. If you didn’t teach him, how could he have dug up so many?” Ming Can pressed the gun barrel against Chi Xiao’s forehead and fired a few more tutututu. “Hurry up and clean the balcony.”

“My brains are blown out—how am I supposed to clean?”

“…” Ming Can lowered her gun. “Didn’t we buy Miaomiao a toy doctor kit a few days ago? It even has a defibrillator. Once you’re done cleaning, I’ll have Dr. Miaomiao resuscitate you.”

Chi Xiao: “…”

Finally, Ming Can felt vindicated. She turned and went back to the living room, tapping Miaomiao’s butt with the gun barrel to urge him to wash his hands in the bathroom.

While Miaomiao was washing his hands, Ming Can stood beside him, supervising. Xiao Xiao also ran in, circling around their feet.

“Mom,” Miaomiao said sweetly, “if you’re afraid of earthworms, I won’t bring them home anymore. This will be the last time.”

Ming Can immediately picked up on something. “The last time? You’ve brought them home before?”

Miaomiao shrank his neck and admitted honestly, “Mm…”

Ming Can: “Where did you put them?”

“I put them in the flower pots, but they didn’t seem to adapt well and couldn’t burrow into the soil… Then Xiao Xiao ate them.”

Ming Can lowered her head and looked at the dumb dog currently licking the back of her heel: “…”

She couldn’t stay in this house for another second.

–

Every time she traveled from the university town back to her home in the city, it felt like crossing between two worlds. Here was a fairy tale—pure, joyful, like a game of playing house. Over there was the harsh reality of scheming and power struggles. Fortunately, this time, Ming Can wasn’t facing it alone.

Liu Zhongling’s birthday this year wasn’t a major milestone, so she only invited family and a few close friends to a banquet, held at the villa where she usually resided.

Everyone sat around a traditional Chinese round table. At its center was a three-dimensional landscape painting adorned with floral arrangements. As the lazy Susan^[1]A Lazy Susan is a rotating tray, usually circular, placed on a table or countertop to help distribute food or condiments easily. It allows people to access items without having to reach across the … Continue reading rotated slowly, the painting seemed to come alive, creating a visually stunning effect.

Ming Can and Chi Xiao’s arrival caused quite a stir.

Both possessed striking looks and an extraordinary presence. Appearing together, they looked as if they had stepped straight off a fashion red carpet, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

Ming Can had already informed her father in advance that she would be bringing Chi Xiao along, making it clear what their relationship was now.

Still, this was her first time bringing a boyfriend to a family gathering so openly. Ming Can couldn’t help feeling nervous. Under countless probing gazes, she focused on her breathing, gripping the hem of her dress tightly before obediently taking a seat beside her father.

On behalf of the Chi family, Chi Xiao presented Liu Zhongling with a birthday gift—a set of Song Dynasty official kiln porcelain, a treasure beyond price.

Bringing such an extravagant gift on his first formal visit, Chi Xiao won Liu Zhongling’s full approval. She accepted it with a beaming smile, exchanging a glance with her husband. In their eyes, this marriage alliance was as solid as could be.

Aside from Ming Can and her cousin Ming Yu, the rest of the Ming family was seeing the grown-up Chi Xiao for the first time. The once low-profile eldest son of the Chi family had a striking appearance that rivaled even Ming Zheng in his youth. He carried himself with the same composed, understated presence as his father, and his demeanor was impeccably polite and proper. Even Ming Yuzhang, who was known for being strict and traditional, couldn’t help but acknowledge that Chi Xiao was truly an exceptional young man—one who would be nearly impossible to match as a grandson-in-law.

Ming Zheng was even more satisfied with Chi Xiao. He still remembered that Chi Xiao had been a volunteer assisting parents outside the exam venue during Ming Can’s college entrance exams. As the waitstaff served the dishes, Ming Zheng took the initiative to tap on Chi Xiao’s table and asked if he remembered him.

Chi Xiao pondered for a moment before replying, “I remember now. Haven’t we met before at the affiliated high school?”

Oh, keep pretending. You’d better not have been there that day specifically for me and my dad.

Ming Can took a sip of juice, hiding the smile at the corner of her lips.

Her gaze swept around the round table before quickly locking onto a strikingly beautiful face of a woman in her thirties.

Jiang Yichu. She was seated directly across from her father, a placement that was most likely arranged intentionally by her grandmother.

Next, Grandma began introducing the unfamiliar faces at the table. When she got to Jiang Yichu, she mentioned that she was the daughter of a friend and had returned from studying abroad, planning to develop her career back home. Then, she turned to Chi Xiao and asked if he knew her.

“I have some impressions,” Chi Xiao replied. “Is she Aunt Duan’s friend?”

“I’m her cousin,” Jiang Yichu said with a smile. “I’ve heard her mention you often. She says you’re an exceptionally outstanding young man. I never expected to run into you here today.”

“Aunt Duan overpraises me. I just happen to be good at exams. Not as good as Ming Can.”

“Ming Can is very outstanding too,” Jiang Yichu said openly, her gaze landing directly on Ming Can. “You two seem very close. When are you planning to get married?”

During the polite small talk, Ming Can keenly noticed that her father’s expression remained completely calm when looking at Jiang Yichu. He had no intention of responding or engaging further. The two of them seemed, at most, to be newly acquainted as ordinary friends.

It’s a good thing I caught on early.

Ming Can once again felt relieved. Pretending to be shy, she replied, “We only just got together, so marriage is still far off. At the very least, we’ll wait until I finish my graduate studies.”

Hearing this, Ming Zheng suddenly glanced at her, then shifted his gaze to Chi Xiao, who was seated beside her.

Seizing the opportunity, Chi Xiao directly overturned the request that Chi Yanpeng had previously made to Ming Zheng. “I feel the same way. There’s no rush to get married. Personal development comes first.”

Ming Zheng asked, “Is that what your father said too?”

“Yes.” Chi Xiao nodded. “That’s his opinion as well. He didn’t fully understand the situation before, but he’s changed his mind now. Marrying too early isn’t beneficial. If possible, he’d prefer for me to partner with a stronger, more dominant wife.”

As soon as these words fell, the entire room went silent.

The Ming family was rife with internal strife, and Ming Zheng’s branch was the weakest among them. If Ming Can became more dominant, it would carry significant implications—ones her uncles couldn’t afford to ignore.

Ming Can suddenly shot Chi Xiao a glare. “What do you mean by that? Do you think my dad isn’t already good enough to me?”

“Are you referring to this?” Ming Zheng asked Chi Xiao. “Then you can rest assured. Everything I have is meant for Cancan. She is my only—”

“Ah Zheng,” Ming Yuzhang suddenly interrupted him. “Let’s not talk about this. Let’s eat.”

“Yes, let’s eat.” Liu Zhongling, noticing that Jiang Yichu’s expression had darkened, quickly raised her glass in a toast. “Let’s all have a drink together.”

Everyone stood up and clinked glasses, though the undercurrents running through the gathering did not dissipate so easily.

Under the table, Ming Can and Chi Xiao were quietly tugging at each other’s fingers.

Ming Can felt a bit frustrated. Her goal today had been to put on a coordinated act with Chi Xiao, leading Ming Zheng to openly declare, in front of Jiang Yichu, that he considered only Ming Can as his sole successor. Unfortunately, her grandparents had cut him off. With so many family members present, she couldn’t afford to speak out of turn, nor could she bluntly say that she didn’t want her father to remarry. That would only backfire.

Suddenly, Chi Xiao caught her fingers, his thumb gently rubbing against her fingertips, as if silently reassuring her to be patient.

“Uncle Ming.” Chi Xiao raised his glass to Ming Zheng, subtly voicing what Ming Can couldn’t say outright. “I didn’t mean to sound critical earlier. You have only one child, Ming Can. Of course, she is your sole heir.”

Ming Zheng nodded. “That’s right.”

Chi Xiao’s gaze shifted toward the two elders at the head of the table before he continued, “Although Ming Can is a woman, there’s really no difference between men and women. The only distinction is that men traditionally have the right to pass down the family name. But that tradition should have been discarded long ago. Our family doesn’t insist on it either. So, if Ming Can and I marry and have children in the future, they will take their mother’s surname. After all, children are born from their mother’s womb.”

This was what Chi Xiao had whispered about after his negotiations with his father a few days ago—the condition he hoped he would agree to.

At the time, Chi Yanpeng’s face had instantly darkened.

Now, hearing Chi Xiao’s words, the expressions of the Ming family members became a kaleidoscope of reactions. It was as if a group of Qing Dynasty aristocrats had suddenly been transported to the modern era in a time machine.

No one doubted that Chi Xiao would make such a statement lightly in this setting. His words clearly reflected the stance of the Chi family. It was an enormous gesture of goodwill—yet everyone seated around the round table had their own complicated feelings about it.

“What did you just say?” Ming Yuzhang was utterly incredulous. “This… is your family’s decision?”

“Yes. My father has no objections either.”

Ming Yuzhang opened his mouth slightly, his aged face showing even deeper shock. From his traditional perspective, the Chi family could have made all sorts of unreasonable demands in this marriage alliance, and the Ming family would have been forced to compromise in order to secure this partnership. Yet, unexpectedly, this young man had taken the initiative to declare that their future children would take the mother’s surname. To someone like Ming Yuzhang, who held deeply ingrained traditional values, this was practically the stance of a man marrying into his wife’s family.

Even Ming Can was caught off guard.

Although Miaomiao’s name had already hinted that her future children would bear her surname, hearing Chi Xiao suddenly declare it in front of everyone still sent a shock through her—something deep inside her had been struck.

Ming Can understood that Chi Xiao’s words weren’t just meant for the Ming family, they were also directed at Jiang Yichu.

Jiang Yichu’s expression had completely stiffened.

The Ming family had a long-standing tradition: daughters did not participate in the inheritance of power. She had returned to China for this arranged match with Ming Zheng precisely because she saw the limitless potential in his alliance with the Chi family. Furthermore, since Ming Can, as a daughter, was supposedly unable to become her father’s successor, the Ming family elders would surely pressure Ming Zheng to remarry. That meant his future wife and children would likely inherit the majority of his assets.

But now, if Ming Can and Chi Xiao’s children took the Ming surname, Ming Yuzhang might compromise and acknowledge Ming Can as the rightful heir. With Ming Zheng already favoring his daughter so much, once she gained full authority, what place would there be for a stepmother and her children?

All of a sudden, Jiang Yichu even felt a sense of relief—at least she had learned all of this before she had gotten too deeply involved with Ming Zheng.

Seeing Jiang Yichu’s expression, Ming Can could already guess that her expectations for this marriage had taken a major hit. She would likely begin distancing herself from the Ming family on her own.

At the end of the day, there was no deep personal hatred between them—just a struggle for their respective interests.

Miaomiao’s presence was like a prophetic card disrupting the game, a bug in the system that shifted many seemingly deadlocked situations. What once were tight knots had now become loose ones, and with Ming Can and Chi Xiao each holding an end of the rope, all it took was mutual trust and a firm pull to untangle them.

The atmosphere in the banquet hall remained subdued. To lighten the mood, the elders began casually discussing children’s education. Then, Ming Can’s eldest uncle, Ming Mo, suddenly became interested in the conversation. He mentioned that his granddaughter had recently learned a new piece of music and suggested that she perform it for her great-grandparents to lift the mood of the birthday celebration.

Hearing this, Ming Can silently tightened her grip on her chopsticks.

There was a time when performing at family banquets had been her duty as the youngest granddaughter. As a child, she had loved playing the violin and enjoyed performing for others—until one day, she asked her cousin to play a duet with her. He refused, saying that going on stage to perform was something for girls, and he wouldn’t do it. That was the first time Ming Can felt something was off.

Later, after many similar experiences, her discomfort grew into a more severe reaction. In the end, she gave up the violin entirely. Every time she thought about it, she felt a deep sadness, yet she could never quite convince herself to put down her defenses and pick it up again.

Now, that responsibility of performing for the family had fallen to her young niece.

Ming Xi was a little younger than Miaomiao. She had started learning piano at the age of two and could already play many pieces fluently.

“I don’t want to go, Mom.” Ming Xi buried herself in her mother’s lap and whispered, “I’m afraid I’ll make a mistake. Last time I played the wrong notes, Dad and Grandpa were really unhappy.”

“It’s okay. Just play 《Ballade pour Adeline》. You played it really well at home yesterday.”

“I don’t want to…” Ming Xi mumbled. “Big Brother can play too. Let him go.”

“I don’t want to.” The little boy sitting beside her said, “I like playing soccer. I’m not going to play piano anymore.”

“Then I won’t play either.”

“What are you talking about? You clearly love the piano.” The boy reached out and gave his sister a little shove. “Hurry up and go, or Grandpa will scold you.”

Ming Xi’s eyes welled up with tears, but she didn’t let them fall. Under the urging of the elders, she slowly pulled herself away from her mother’s embrace.

She was seated very close to Ming Can. As she wiped her tears and passed by, Ming Can, almost instinctively, reached out and grabbed her hand.

At the same time, Chi Xiao also placed a hand on Ming Xi’s shoulder.

The two exchanged a glance before Chi Xiao spoke first. “Ming Xi doesn’t seem to be feeling well today. How about I perform in her place? I used to play the piano too.”

With that, he stood up, smoothed out his suit, and smiled lightly. “It’s been years since I practiced. Please don’t mind if I make mistakes.”

Ming Can stared at Chi Xiao in surprise, and the rest of the family looked even more bewildered.

Since when was it appropriate for a guest to perform at a family gathering?

Yet, Chi Xiao remained utterly composed. With his long strides, he walked straight to the grand piano in the corner of the hall. Adjusting the height of the bench, he sat down with effortless ease.

Dressed in a deep-colored, notch-lapel suit, he exuded an air of refined elegance. As he unfastened the cuff buttons of his sleeves and rotated his wrists a few times, he appeared entirely at ease, like he belonged there. Then, his fingers touched the keys.

《Ballade pour Adeline》. A familiar tune. Gentle notes spilled into the air, smoothing over all the unseen ripples in the room, as if they could soothe every crease in time itself.

This piece wasn’t particularly difficult. Even though Chi Xiao hadn’t touched a piano in years, he was only a little stiff at the beginning. Soon, his fingers grew accustomed to the keys, long and fair as they danced across them. The melody became increasingly smooth and tender, flowing with a lingering charm.

Ming Can gazed at his profile. The shifting light cast delicate shadows across his brows, like a love poem only she could understand.

All of a sudden, she felt something inside her beginning to break. The hard, thorn-covered shell that had long encased her heart, slowly shattering.

Lifting the hem of her dress, she rose from her seat and stepped away.

Everyone’s attention was fixed on Chi Xiao at the piano. Almost no one noticed her departure.

In less than a minute, Ming Can returned through the side door and walked straight to the piano, coming to a stop.

Clamped between her neck and shoulder was a deep amber-colored violin. It was one of her grandmother’s treasured collections.

The next moment, she drew the bow across the strings. A crisp, melodious violin sound rang out, instantly breathing life into the once-simple tune. The calm, flowing surface of the music rippled into waves.

Chi Xiao lifted his gaze and met Ming Can’s dark, luminous eyes.

In that instant, everyone else seemed to fade into the background, dissolving like air. In the vast banquet hall, it was as if only the two of them remained.